The rapid growth of computer technology has, in recent years, led to the development of multiprocessor systems for expanding the operational capabilities of computers to an even higher point than that previously available. Basically, such multiprocessors are processing systems which comprise a plurality of individual processors coupled together into a common system so that more than one processing operation can be performed at a time. Because of the enhanced performance in processing available with such multiprocessors, systems are now being developed to utilize large numbers of individual processors together for forming multiprocessor systems with extremely high operational capabilities at relatively low cost.
Although such large scale multiprocessing systems offer the potential of tremendous processing capability, the actual interconnection of large numbers of individual processors presents system designers with various inter-operational difficulties which must be resolved. This is necessary so that the particular processors utilized to operate in conjunction with one another can, in fact, smoothly and effectively carry out the designed multiprocessor operation. Unfortunately, the cost and difficulty of doing this with the actual processors to be used in the final multiprocessor system can be significant.
To make the design and problem solving of such multiprocessing systems easier, it is possible to utilize a model multiple microprocessor system. Such a model microprocessor system has a plurality of emulators, each of which is an emulation processor which can represent the processors in a desired multiprocessor system being modeled. Thus, by studying the behavior of the emulators and changing parameters in the model multiple microprocessor system, it is possible to determine problems which the actual multiprocessor will have ahead of time. Therefore, design changes in the actual multiprocessor can be made to minimize or eliminate such problems ahead of time.
One difficulty which arises in the use of such a model multiple microprocessor system is that when older processing units are being emulated, the emulating processors themselves will be faster than the processors which they are emulating. On the other hand, the opposite problem can develop if the emulators are actually slower than the processors which they are emulating. These problems can result in a loss of fidelity of the emulation.